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Sunday, December 29, 2013

We recognize too many dogs this week, too many that crossed from the Mortal Side of the River of Life to the Eternal Side. There are so many more, and if we have forgotten a family, or pack member, we do apologize. (And thank you to Tommy Tunes for the borrowing of several pictures.)

Friday, December 27, 2013

I spent most of the first year of my life in Florida, basking in the sunshine, thinking that when the temperature slipped to 40 degrees it was a cold day.

I moved to New England in July and the weather was divine. Then someone put cold in the air. I didn’t mind it so much. I got a warm, snuggly jacket to wear that was really quite fashionable. This winter thing was going to be a snap.

And then, just a couple of mornings ago, I was lifted by Daddy from my warm bed, snuggled next to Mommy, carried on to the porch, and fitted in my warm jacket while I looked outside. The trees looked lovely, covered in a fluffy white substance, and the ground was covered with the same. I then saw the cause of this beauty. Little white flakes floated to the ground, spinning, drifting, dazzling white beauties, like hundreds of butterflies settling on the grass.

Daddy carried me down the steps and over the icy driveway. These fluffy white flakes settled on my head, feeling cool, but not wet. One touched my nose and tickled it with cold.

Then Daddy placed me on the white covered grass and holy bejeeburs! At first my paws were cold, and then the beautiful white flakes melted under me, and my paws were wet and turning to ice. The flakes that hit me in the head melted and then the wind hit me, freezing the flakes to my fur, and idiot Daddy pulled on my leash expecting me to perform.

Perform what? My business? Out here? I am not some drunk outside a football stadium before kickoff filled with bratwurst and bruskies. I may have arrived at my forever home with a tarnished reputation but since arriving I have been a proper lollipop and I was not flashing my most naughty bits in a winter wonderland.

But Daddy pulled on my leash and spoke to me sharply telling me to go “pee pee” like the cold had tumbled him back to the first grade. I spread my legs, pushed downwards, and began to urinate, when my naughty bits hit the cold and sent a shiver down my spine and throughout my body.

I was done. This winter was not for me. I had been trained on pee pads, and now I knew why, my Florida Mommy was preparing me for the harsh move up North. The next time we went out Daddy bent down to leash me and I let loose right there on the porch, unsuccessfully trying to melt the rug. After the next two times Daddy finally got the message.

Now there are pee pads on the porch for me. Daddy gives me the option each time we go outside. If the weather is acceptable I do my business, but if not, I turn and go on the pads.

If the winter keeps up like this I will see you outside in April. If you want to find my I’ll be at my pad.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

It
has been so long since I have been asked to swear in a good friend at
the Bridge I was hoping we would make it to the New Year, since there is
nothing more sorrowful than losing a loved one at the holidays. But
this week I got the sad summons, grabbed my robe and my swearing in book
and waited at the top of the steps. Although I knew she would be
coming someday soon, I hoped Misha would make it to Christmas, alas, the
Gods had other plans.

Misha’s
journey to the Bridge was a long and strenuous one. She fought very
hard against the cancer but that’s a match that we only win when the
cancer relents, and her cancer, like mine, had no desire to relent.

It
started with an innocent trip to the vet where liver levels were
slightly high. A few day’s later it was another every day act, a rub on
Misha’s throat, when the large lump was felt, Misha cried out, and her
Mom’s heart sunk to her feet. They went to the vet and he ran a painful test and then, even more painfully they had to wait for the result

When
the result came it was the news they feared. Misha had a cancerous
tumor in her neck. Her parents decided to forgo surgery and take her to
a cancer center to see if the surgery could get the entire mass or
would only add to Misha’s suffering. Misha and I had so much in common,
we had seemed fine except for throat problems, which both our parents
had thought were caused by a faulty trachea, and bothour parents were shocked to find out they were wrong.

The
doctors at the cancer facility decided the tumor had to be removed then
sent out to be analyzed. Before the tumor could be removed the news
got worse. The tumor was growing rapidly. It had attached to her
tonsils and lymph nodes. Misha would, after the removal of the tumor,
likely have to go through chemotherapy.

Misha
had the surgery, came through successfully and was brought home. The
doctors thought they got all the cancer, but, because of where it was
located, it was likely to return. Her parents decided not to do
chemotherapy so she did not have to suffer anymore. Her parents didn’t
know when the cancer would return so they decided to love her and spoil
her for as long as they could.

Misha’s
remission lasted five months, but inevitably the cancer spread to her
left lymph node. The cancer was not yet in her heart and her lungs but
her doctors were concerned it was likely. There would be no more
surgeries or treatments. Misha was closing in on her 13th birthday (as
was I at the end) and, quality of life was most important. As her Mom
said: “We don't know how long we will have with her but we are going to
enjoy every minute we can with her.”

Misha
kept fighting, taking her pills and eating despite having a partially
paralyzed tongue, She kept up her appetite, had no vomiting or loose
poops. She even had the energy to chase varmints. And Misha and her
parents enjoyed every day together.

This
week Misha’s made her journey from the mortal side of the Bridge with
her pack to the immortal side with us angels. Her health went downhill
as she ran out of all the energy that kept her with her family. A kind
vet came to their house to aid her on her journey so she didn’t have to
go to the vet’s office. She so hated the vet. So she did not pass over
alone, but surrounded by her family.

Misha
was a champion who travelled to competitions, a treasured member of her
family, and a beautiful friend. She greeted me warmly as she was
sworn in. I know her family was hoping to spend one last Christmas with
her, and I am so sorry they weren’t able to, but she will be spending
it next to me, here at The Bridge, where we will be celebrating our
first magical Christmas at the Bridge together.

We
would rather be spending it with our families but the fates would not
allow. So we will spend it together, and, on Christmas Eve, when
magical things happen, we will both slip into our Mom’s dreams to wish
them a Merry Christmas.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Being
a Judge at Rainbow Bridge means that I had to sever my ties with my
former law firm. Originally I was going to appoint Pocket as head
litigator but I have changed my mind for two reasons. One: Pocket is
an excellent researcher but not very confident when it comes to her
speaking abilities during trials and two: If you had to go to court
would you want to look at the opposing counsel and see this:

And
now we have our first big case. Several dogs have come to me to
complain about items being sold at pet stores. They pose a direct
threat to both the dignity of dogs and our rights to peacefully enjoy
their lives. I shall now list our three main pieces of evidence in this
case.

First is this:

It
is a bottle opener attached to a dog collar. I have heard tails told
of men who convince their adoring pets to fetch them alcoholic
beverages. While I believe the law should not become involved in the
relationship between dog and parent I find such behavior an abuse of
said relationship. For the parent to grasp the dog by the collar and
use it to open his disgusting beer, filling the pups nostrils with the
noxious smell and treating the sweet angel like an appliance is
appalling. While some pet parents do not use the best judgment,
especially the more they drink, we hold that the company selling the
produce it at fault and we are seeking a restraining order to make them
stop. If the do not cooperate with our request to stop selling the
collar bottle opener they will be face with this.

Our second piece of evidence is this:

Again,
it has to do with humans’ love of beer. They are treats that taste
like beer. Not wine, or another tasty beverage like Sex on the Beach,
but, gross, skanky beer. I believe the idea behind this product is,
when our Dads have drank too many of these beers, and are regurgitating
them into the toilet, we will be next to them, regurgitating our treats
right next to them. This is an abuse of our bodies. Treats are our
weakness. We will eat any treat presented to us even if it is harmful.
Since a small percentage of humans are using bad judgment in buying
these treats we ask that they be pulled from the shelves immediately or
the store owners will be summoned to court and face this.

And this is our third piece of evidence:

I
lived my life under the banner “Freedom to Bark” and this means freedom
to live without muzzles. Now I know these are a necessary evil. Lots
of dogs go out and put things in their mouth they shouldn’t. My sister
River is one of them. But there should be no other reason to muzzle.
This product not only silences our freedom to bark, but mocks us in the
process. A muzzled dog is a humiliated dog, and to add to the
humiliation with cartoon drawings, is an unspeakable injustice. We
demand that these products be moved immediately. If not you will have
to face this.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Here
at Rainbow Bridge it doesn’t snow We do have mountains where we can
climb then play in the snow, go sledding, and partake in snowball
fights, while Huskies and their ilk have wonderful fun romping and
rolling. But we don’t have any of those cold, windy, icy, snowy days
that we hate.

This
week, on the mortal side of the Bridge, all across the country, many
friends got slammed with snow, ice, wind, and downed power lines.
When they went to do their business they got snow covered paws, icy
and damp fur, and the dreaded toweling off.

Thankfully
no one was lost in the big cold fluffy. All our parents survived. As I
sit up here on the green banks looking in the River of Life I must
admit I don’t miss sticking my who who in the freezing snow to melt a
little with my pee, and I was able to muffle a snicker when Pocket went
to settle into a squat and ended up spread eagle on the ice.

When
I was a youngster Mommy, Daddy, Blake and I would go walking in the
early evening at the state mental institution, through the snow, and I
would scoot my bottom on the cold. This got both my parents very upset,
and they took me to the vet, who found nothing wrong. But there was
something wrong: I thought it was a bad idea to be walking at the state
mental institution at night and my scooting got them to reconsider
their fallacy.

Let’s see how some of our friends soldiered through the storm.

Snow can’t keep our friend Leo from looking regal and proud.

Meika has already formed her opinion and is done with the snow for the year.

Scooby and Odie pose for a picture despite cold paws.

Molly is done with the cold and wants in now!

Toby, Maggie and Pokey make the best of a cold situation.

It
looks like this is going to be the start of a long winter with plenty
of snowy pictures. So here is to the snow dogs: May they always have a
safe and warm place to hide from the cold.

Tails From Rainbow Bridge

About Me

This page was founded in 2007 by Foley Monster. She was joined by her sister Pocket Dog. In 2013 Foley took a job as a Judge at Rainbow Bridge where she continues to blog. The newest family member, River Song joined us a short time later